Ink-fountain



W. R. CRANDALL.

INK FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4. I915. 1

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

0 N D Q I N N '11:) I

I $1 5 I d N "T- :i- -n W a I I III J Q m N IQI Q5 vwentoi Q h flO'a/idall WVR. CRANDALL.

INK FOUNTAIN. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, 1915. V 4 1,194,329. Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W. R. CRANDALL.

INK FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, 19l5. 1 ,1 94,329. Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

w. R. CRANDVALL.

INK vFOUNTAIN.

I APPLICATION men ocr.4.1s15.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WELLER R. CRANDALL,

PEBCIVAL W. DARRAH,

0F LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS,

OF LEAVENWOBTH,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 KANSAS.

INK-FOUNTAIN.

Application filed October T 0 all u hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELLER R. CRANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ink-Fountains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ink fountains, and the primary objectof the invention is to rovide a fountain which may e attached to any printing press and which may be easily adjusted so as to supply inks 0 different colors simultaneously to a type form.

A secondary object of the invention is to provide novel means for the stated purpose which may be easily assembled and manipulated and which will not add materially to the cost of an ordinary printing press, an a further object of the invention is to provide means prevented from blending.

Incidental objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the ink roller will present a continuous, unbroken surface to the supply of ink, and to provide means whereby the ink knife or bottom of the ink trough may be easily adjusted so as to regulate the flow of ink to the ink roller.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description of the same proceeds, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the detailed description.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate what I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention :-Figure 1 is a plan view of an ink trough having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an elevation, with parts in section, of the fountain roller; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of a portion of the ink trough; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the ductor roll; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing variations of the movable partition; Fig. 7 is a perspective view 0 a portion 0 a press with my improved apparatus in position thereon; Fig. 8 is a side view of one of the disks which make up the fountain roller; Fig. 9 is a detail section through two of the disks; Fig. 10 is a detail view of a portion of the fountain roller shaft; Fig. 11 is Specification of Letters Patent.

whereby adjacent colors will be Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

4, 1915. Serial No. 54,029.

a section through the cleaning or wiping mechanism; Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 12-42 of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a detail perspective of the frame or bracket for carrying the cleaning or wiping mechanism.

The ink trough frame of the printing machine in any desired or convenient manner and consists essentially of a body 1 having a downwardly inclined surface 2, constituting the ink trough proper, and upon this inclined surface 2 secure a sheet metal plate 3 which constitutes the knife or feeding surface of the trough. This knife or ink feeding plate is secured at or near its upper edge to the body of the trough by a plurality of screws 4, as clearly shown, and the lower edge of the said knife projects beyond the adjacent edge or side of the body 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In the lower portion of the said body 1, I mount a plurality of long tension screws or bolts 5 provided at their outer ends with enlarged heads or handles 6 and having their inner ends 7 playing directly against the under surface of the projecting portion of the knife 3. The body 1 of the extended at the ends thereof to form arms 8 in which the ink roller shaft 9 is journaled, said shaft being extended at one side, as shown in Fig. 1, and equippe with a ratchet wheel 10 or other convenient actuating med' being driven from the driving mechanism for the printing machine, as will be readily understood.

The particular manner of mounting the ink roller shaft 9 upon the arms 8 is immaterial, but I have illustrated said arms as cut-away in their upper portions to form the lower portions 0 the bearings for the shaft, and blocks 11 are secured upon the said cut-away portions to fit over the ends of the shaft and constitute the upper bearings therefor. These blocks 11 are secured in place by bolts 12 inserted downwardly through the blocks into the arms 8.

The fountain roller consists of a plurality of circular disks 13 which are of uniform diameter and the peripheries of which are equal in thickness to the unit of the point system now commonly employed in printing offices and type foundries so that, by placing the disks side by side and in contact, a roller may be formed equal in length to the may be secured upon the p height of any particular line of type.

, from the ink feet contact and a tight joint peripheries. Each disk is formed with a central opening to receive the shaft 9 and has a lug 14 to engage a longitudinal groove 14 in the shaft, as shown so that, while the disks are slidable longitudinally of the shaft, they are constrained to rotate with the same.

Disposed within the trough l are a plurality of movable partitions 15 which, in the illustrated construction, are .tr1angular in form so that, resting upon the knife 3, the other edges thereof will rise to the height of the sides and end of the trough and will be disposed slightly in advance of the lower edge of the knife whereby a compartment will be provided between two adjacent partitions to hold ink and positively separate the said ink in an adjoining compartment. The partitions are provided at their upper outer corners with arms 16, preferably formed integral with their upper edges and extending outwardly over the top of the trough, said arms being provided with depending eyes 17 adapted to fit around a rod 18 secured upon the outer wall of the trough. Beyond the said eyes, the arms 16 form finger pieces or handles 19 which may be easily grasped and manipulated by the pressman. The rod 18 is fitted at its ends in eyes or brackets 20 secured on the body 1 of the trough and set-screws 21 are mounted in the said eyes 20 and bear against the rod 18 so as to hold the same firmly in place. This arrangement permits the several partitions to be fitted on the rod, after which the rod may be easily engaged in the eyes and sel The rings or collars 17 rod 18 so that the respective partitions may be easily swung up wardly out of the trough and then slid longitudinally upon the rod so that they may be adjusted to any desired point along the trough.

The several parts should be so proportioned and arranged that the ink roller will e very close to the lower edge of the knife 3 and will take into the ink resting on the nife so as to draw a thin film therefrom, which film will be subsequently transferred to the type faces. The lower or inner ends of the several partitions will extend across the circle defined by the periphery of the ink roller, as shown in Fig. 3, and, when adjusted for operation, should fit snugly be tween adjacent disks, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to prevent leakage of ink around the edges of the disks and between the same and the partitions, thereby guarding against the mingling of the different colors.

Inasmuch as the vibration of the parts, when the press is in use, may tend to proare in the duce an upward movement of the partitions Which would allow ink to flow under the lower edges of the same and thereby commingle, I provide a presser bar or holder 22 which may be pivotally attached at one end to the adjacent end of the trough by a pivot bolt 23 and constructed at its opposite end with a notch 24 adapted to fit around a keeper bolt or button 25. When the parts positions shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 7, this holder or presser bar will bear directly upon the upper edges of the partitions and will hold them firmly against the knife 3 so that vertical movements of the partitions cannot occur. It will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the ends of the partitions disks upon the shaft 9.

In order that the several parts may be held in firm contact so that the edges of adjacent disks will present a continuous unbroken surface for the transfer of ink, and leakage of ink into the spaces between the disks will be prevented, I provide a thumb screw or bolt 26 which is mounted in one end wall of the trough, and may be conveniently disposed in one of the blocks 11, and is adapted to bear against the end disk and, when turned home, effectually hold the disks in intimate contact. It will also be understood that the parts may be adjusted to permit the transfer of a single color ink to the entire type form. This result is obtained by moving all the partitions to one end of the trough so that their ends may project between the adjacent end wall of the trough and the adjacent end disk and then causing the thumb bolt 26 to bear against the outermost partition. This arrangement is indicated in Fig. 2.

The several partitions will ordinarily be straight plates, as shown in Fig. 1, but it may sometimes be found necessary or desirable to have the partitions shaped to follow an ogee or irregular outline, and I have illustrated two of such partitions at 27 in Fig. 6.

The ink may be taken from the fountain roller or disk 13 in any desired manner, but I prefer to employ aductor roll 28 which is carried by a shaft 29 journaled in suitable bearings upon brackets 30 which may be secured to the roller frame of the press in any desired manner, the shaft 29 being provided near its ends with cam grooves 31 adapted to be engaged by a set-screw or pin 32 mounted in the bracket 30 in position to engage in one of the said grooves. As the shaft is rotated through the driving mechanism of the press, the engagement of the cam groove 31 with the pin or set-screw 32 will effect a longitudinal vibration or reciprocation of the shaft so that the ink taken by the ductor roll from the fountain roller will spread evenly upon the surface to which it may be applied. It will be understood, of course, that the cam grooves are arranged according to the point system and the throw or vibratory movement of the roller regulated to correspond to the line of type to be inked. In actual practice, a train of vibratory ductor rolls will be employed and the pins or screws 32 will be countersunk in the brackets or roller frame so that they cannot be driven into the grooves so far as to bind against the bases thereof.

The boxes which carry the vibratory ductor rolls also carry the composition transfer or printing rollers which are held to their work by stud bolts having springs seated beneath their heads. At the end of a run of the press, the pressman, by merely lOOS6l1- ing the nuts on the upper ends of these bolts, will relieve the tension on the compoglition rollers so that they will not become Should a particular job have close lines, there is a tendency of the inks to run together and my invention includes means to counteract and overcome this objection. When the ink fountain is applied to the press, the ink table is disconnected from its actuating mechanism so that the table will remain stationary and will aid in the distribution of ink without defeating the transfer of the several colors to the lines of type for which they are respectively intended. I employ a bracket or open rectangular frame 35 which is held in place by the bolts 12 so as to project over the position usually occupied by the inking table, the end bars of said frame being provided with openings 36 to receive said bolts, as will be readily understood, and rigidity being imparted to the frame by the bars 37 which extend transversely of the press. Alined with the several partitions 15, I support upon the frame 35 wiper bars 37, only one 0 which is shown. These wiper bars 37 are longitudinally grooved or formed of parallel jaws as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 so as to each engage and hold a wiper pad 38 of felt or similar material while upon the upper side of each bar is a narrow tank 39 extending longitudinally of the bar to contain gasolene or a similar cleaning agent. The tank is provided with a filling opening 40 in its top and, adjacent its lowest point, is provided with a discharge opening 41 through which the cleaning fluid may flow to the wiper pad. The filling opening 40 is normally covered by a cap 42 and the discharge opening is normally closed by a needle valve 43 having its stem extending through the top of the tank and equipped with a handle 44 to facilitate its unseating.

A contractile spring 45 is coiled around the valve stem between the handle and the top of the tank and attached to the stem in any convenient manner so as to normally hold the valve seated. The tip of the valve rests on a trip plate 46 which fits around the wick and between the jaws of the wiper bar. As the ductor roll passes beneath the wiper, it will impinge against the lower end of the trip plate and move the same so as to slightly unseat the valve and permit a small quantity of the fluid to flow to the wiper pad which is, consequently. kept damp without being flooded. It will be readily understood that the ductor roll travels from end to end of the wiper pad which rubs away the surplus ink and leaves a clean sharp line of ink to be applied to the type. The trip plate relieves the wiper pad of wear from the ductor roll and the valve, and the valve prevents leakage so that the cleaning fluid will pass to the pad only when the press is in operation and in such quantity as is necessary to accomplish the desired result. The wiper bar may be se cured upon the upper and lower cross bars of the frame 35 in any desired manner and is illustrated as provided at its ends with overhanging hooks adapted to engage over said cross bars and equipped with set screws 48 adapted to bind against the same. It is obvious that the bars may be rcadilj, adjusted to and secured at any point of the frame.

It is thought the operation and advantages of my improved fountain will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The fountain is secured upon the press in any convenient or preferred manner, and after the type form has been secured in place, the pressman may take a proof or sample impression from the type faces, which sample impression sheet may be used as a guide for adjusting the partitions 15. If this sample impression sheet be held against the fountain roller or disks 13, it will be obvious that the positions to be given the partitions 15 in order to permit the feeding of inks of different colors to the type bed may be quickly and accurately determined. The partitions may then be severally moved to the desired positions, after which the thumb bolts or screws 26 may be turned home and the holder or presser bar 22 secured in place over the partitions so that the movement of the partitions from their adjusted positions cannot take place. The inks will then be placed in the proper compartments formed by the partitions, and the set-screws or bolts 5 adjusted so that the edge of the knife 3 will lie at a greater or less distance from the circumference of the fountain roller to permit a more or less rapid flow of the ink according to the viscidity of the same. The press is then operated in the usual manner to print the circulars or other sheets. It will be readily seen that by the use of my improved ink fountain, impressions may be taken simultaneously from inks of different colors so that it will not be necessary to run the sheets through the press more than once to print different portions of the same.

The device is very simple in the construction and arrangement of its parts and may be very quickly and easily adjusted to accurately locate the different colors upon the sheet as may be desired. The vibratory distributing rollers will have only enough play to effect an even spread of the ink and as the rollers move to the type form they will ride upon the wiper pad which will take up the surplus ink and leave a clean sharp edge to each stripe or color.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an ink fountain, the combination of a trough having extended ends, a fountain roll shaft journaled in said extended ends, a plurality of similar disks fitted on said shaft to rotate therewith and slide along the same, a plurality of partitions mounted within the trough and adjustable along the same and adapted to fit between adjacent disks in intimate contact therewith, the combined thickness of all the disks and partitions being approximately equal to the distance between the inner faces of the extended ends of the trough, means for securing the partitions in their adjusted positions, and an adjusting screw mounted in one extended end of the trough and arranged to force the disks and partitions against the opposite extended end of the trough.

The con'ibination of an ink trough, a fountain roller co-acting therewith and consisting of a series of like disks, a rod secured upon the outer wall of the trough, a series of partitions adapted to fit within the trough and enter between adjacent disks of the ink roller. and arms projecting from the several partitions over the trough and slidably and pivotally engaging the said rod.

3. The combination of an ink trough, a rod secured upon the outer wall of the trough, a roller disposed at the opposite side of the trough and co-acting therewith and consisting of a series of similar disks, partitions adapted to fit within the trough'and between adjacent disks, arms extending from the several partitions over the trough, and collars depending from said arms and encircling the said rod to pivotally and slidably connect the partitions therewith.

4. The combination of an ink trough, a fountain roll cooperating therewith, a plurality of partitions within the trough in intimate engagement with the said roll, a ductor roll mounted to travel to and from the fountain roll, and a plurality of wipers in alinement respectively with the partitions and arranged to bear upon the ductor roll in its travel toward and from the fountain roll.

5. The combination of an ink trough, a fountain roll cooperating therewith, a partition within the trough in intimate engagement with the fountain roll, a ductor roll arranged to travel to and from the fountain roll, a wiper pad arranged to bear upon the ductor roll, and means controlled by the ductor roll to supply a cleaning medium to the wiper pad.

6. The combination of an ink trough, a fountain roll cooperatin therewith, a partition within the trough in intimate engagement with the fountain roll, a ductor roll arranged to travel to and from the fountain roll, a wiper bar in alinement with the partition, a wiper pad fitted in said bar to bear upon the ductor roll, a tank on said bar, a valve controlling flow from the tank to the pad, and a trip plate fitting around the pad and in contact with the valve to be actuated by the ductor roll and thereby open the valve.

7. The combination of an ink trough, a fountain roll cooperating therewith, a partition within the trough in intimate engagement with the fountain roll, a ductor roll arranged to travel to and from the fountain roll, a wiper pad arranged to bear upon the ductor roll, a tank arranged to supply a cleansing medium to the pad, and a normally closed valve controlling the flow from the tank and in engagement with the pad whereby the travel of the ductor roll under the pad will open the valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

\VELLER R. CRANDALL. IL. s.] 

